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Americans Mull
Abolishing Electoral College
Center for Public Opinion and Democracy
The University of British Columbia
November 5, 2004
Many Americans would consider doing away with the Electoral
College, according to a poll by Harris Interactive. 64 per cent of
respondents would support a constitutional amendment to allow the
election of the American head of state by popular vote.
In the United States, the president and vice-president are
elected in a single ticket to a four-year term by an Electoral
College, whose members represent each state of the union with a
previously determined number of electoral votes, in accordance with
the results of the popular vote in each state.
This week, Republican incumbent George W. Bush earned a second
term after securing at least 274 electoral votes from 29 states.
Candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the
White House.
Poll respondents who backed either Bush or Democratic nominee
John Kerry in the 2004 election had different views on the subject.
While 83 per cent of self-described Kerry voters supported a
presidential election by popular vote, only 47 per cent of Bush
backers concurred.
Polling Data
How much would you support or oppose a constitutional amendment
to have the president elected by the popular vote rather than by the
Electoral College?
|
|
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All
Resp.
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Bush
Voters
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Kerry
Voters
|
|
Very much support
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35%
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21%
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50%
|
|
Support
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19%
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17%
|
22%
|
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Somewhat support
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10%
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9%
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11%
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Neither support, nor oppose
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14%
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15%
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9%
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|
Somewhat oppose
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4%
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6%
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3%
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Oppose
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6%
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9%
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3%
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Very much oppose
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12%
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22%
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3%
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Source: Harris Interactive
Methodology: Online interviews to 6,963 American adults,
conducted from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, 2004. Margin of error is 1.3
per cent.
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